Walrus Pearl Jewel by Lyn Punkari

The Walrus Pearl jewel is by goldsmith and lapidary artist Lyn Punkari. Lyn owns and operates the online custom and historic jewel business Darkridge Jewels. Her site is at http://www.darkridgejewels.com. Other baroque pearls she has made are displayed in her site in her baroque pearl jewel album. Lyn lives in Louisville Kentucky.


When Lyn made the Walrus jewel the owner asked Lyn to create another authentic as possible baroque pearl beastie. This time the owner specifically asked for the style where the beastie is on a half sphere with the sphere suspended by chains type of jewel. Many of this type of renaissance baroque pearl jewels survive in museum collections. She happened to have given Lynn a bunch of odds 'n ends of scrap jewelery bits at the same time She gave her the jewel that looked like a walrus to her. Among the scrap odds 'n ends was a broken Indian amethyst bracelet with filigree gold filled accents, and some low grade semi precious stones. The Walrus jewel combines them! The enameled half sphere part of the jewel is accented with the amethysts and the filigree bits from the dead bracelet. The Walrus reclines on a shingle beach composed of the pulverized semi precious stones. The body of the piece is jeweler's silver, gold plated. The Walrus's tusks are mammoth ivory.